As we reported at the top of the news, students and faculty at the University of Belize protested this afternoon. The protest was preceded by a press conference off campus at the George Price Center. It was the first public statement from the pro-tem group of faculty and staff who oppose the August 1st freeze of their increments for three years. The University says it needs the money to expand but the staff and faculty says they want the board to show them the money – or as the case may be - where has gone and will go. They laid out their case to the media.
Keith Swift Reporting,
The Pro-tem UB Faculty and Staff Committee came out swinging against a board they say unilaterally froze increments on August 1st.
Allison Crawford, Chair – Pro-tem Committee
“The salary freeze were actually implemented without the faculty and staff knowledge. That is the way the board is operating.
The meeting held by the board with the faculty and staff took place in March 2009. That was when they first came to inform us about the financial constraints of the university. At that time the tone of the meeting was that the board will get back to the faculty and staff to continue the dialogue on the proposed increment freeze. At that meeting no date was even discussed for the proposed increment freeze. So the board has breached its commitment to come back to the faculty and staff before any final decision was made to freeze increments.”
Allison Crawford says that according to UB’s own financial statements -the university is far from broke.
Allison Crawford,
“According to the minutes of the board in September 2009, it was reported that the performance report ended July 2009 showed a surplus of $1,478,716 despite the lifting of the increment freeze. I asked the board if after the auditing has been reconciled, could that money be used for our increment and she said we are not sure if that money is there. But this statement is saying here it is in the bank.
Faculty and staff need to see evidence that the increment freeze 2009 to 2012 is warranted. It would like to see the financial report. So all these ads that are out and showing the university, we have not been called to a meeting with management or board and a plan laid out to us.”
And that is all these faculty and staff say they are asking for – dialogue.
Allison Crawford,
“The faculty and staff have great caring and interest for our students and if it means we will have to take a wage freeze, we will do it. But we want the board to live up to its commitment, to come back to us and show us the plan.
And if you can all recall, in June 2003 it was the faculty and staff who saved the university and if we have to do that again, we will but we want it to be done in a proper manner.”
Some notes from the faculty and staff are that the increments are written into their contracts and so it’s not like they are asking for an increase. Also interesting is that there was an increment freeze from January 1st 2006 to January of this year. The pro-tem committee also listed what it called wastages by the university – such as $96,000 in travelling expenses in one three month period.
The board says it is a slap in their face that while board has agreed to meet with the entire student body tomorrow –it has refused to meet with them. They’ve been told the board will meet with them at its regular monthly meeting on October 30th.
